06-08-2025
Crufts trainer who allowed three dogs to bake to death after leaving them in his Land Rover for six hours in 23C heat is spared jail
A Crufts trainer who allowed three dogs to bake to death after leaving them in his Land Rover for six hours in searing heat has been spared jail.
Andrew Claridge-Fleming, 57, left four gundogs in the boot of the 4x4 car on a hot summer's day after he was unexpectedly called away to drive his wife to a relative's house.
Two of the animals who perished in the 23C temperatures belonged to clients: Milo, a six-month-old fox red Labrador, and a cocker spaniel called Bodger.
The trainer's own dog, a cockapoo called Rocky, died from heatstroke while in the car which was parked at his farm in New Milton, Hampshire on August 3, 2023.
A cocker spaniel, also named Rocky, another one of Claridge-Fleming's dogs, survived the ordeal after being rushed to the vet.
Claridge-Fleming pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to animals on a basis of plea, denying he was directly responsible for the deaths.
The trainer was handed a 27-month prison sentence at Bournemouth Crown Court, suspended for 18 months, and was also ordered to do 180 hours unpaid work and pay a victim surcharge and undisclosed costs.
Claridge-Fleming had taken the four dogs out for training in the morning and returned home at about 9am.
He said he had left water and a door and the boot open to keep the dogs cool as he drove off in another vehicle at around 10am.
The dog owner did not return until 4pm, at which point he claimed he discovered someone had shut the doors while he was gone.
Claridge-Fleming runs training school Gordleton Gundogs and made his debut at Crufts last year with a dog called Ato.
He was featured in an issue of Gundog Journal in 2022 and has represented England at the international game fair working test.
His wife Nicola breeds working cocker spaniels under the same name.
Rachael Helier, Milo's owner, said she felt anger towards Claridge-Fleming.
Her dog was doing a one-month training course and his death had left Ms Helier's young children 'distraught'.
The trainer first claimed to Ms Helier that her dog had only been left unattended for an hour, the court heard.
He later said it had been 'a few hours' before finally admitting the full extent of his absence.
Ms Helier's victim statement said: 'Finding out our puppy had died was just awful but knowing he died from being shut in a hot car in avoidable circumstances just made it worse.
'Telling our two girls, aged seven and nine, Milo had died and hearing them whaling and physically upset was horrible.
'We understand accidents happen but had Andrew Claridge-Fleming been apologetic or remorseful at the start of the process we would likely have forgiven him.
'But him lying and being defensive, making us feel like we were being difficult, has made our anger towards him more pronounced.
'We miss Milo every day and the girls will never get over losing him so soon - he has left a big hole in our family.'
Silas Lee, prosecuting, read the basis which said: 'I had taken the dogs out for training that morning and returned at approximately 9am.
'They were left in a crate in the back of the car with capacity for four dogs, two in each compartment. They were left with water and I left the back door and boot open on my Land Rover Discovery.
'My wife and I had four children, my wife had just given birth. She had gone out to visit her aunt but came back a short while later saying she couldn't cope with the drive with all the children.
'I said I would take them, this was around 10am. It was otherwise unplanned.. I was gone until approximately 4pm.
'When I returned I was shocked to find the boot had been closed. Three out of four had perished. I was distraught. I did what I could to cool Rocky down before taking him to the vet.
'I do not accept I am directly responsible for their deaths but I do accept I left the dogs unattended for too long.'
Silas Lee, prosecuting, read the basis which said: 'I had taken the dogs out for training that morning and returned at approximately 9am.
'They were left in a crate in the back of the car with capacity for four dogs, two in each compartment. They were left with water and I left the back door and boot open on my Land Rover Discovery.
'My wife and I had four children, my wife had just given birth. She had gone out to visit her aunt but came back a short while later saying she couldn't cope with the drive with all the children.
'I said I would take them, this was around 10am. It was otherwise unplanned.. I was gone until approximately 4pm.
'When I returned I was shocked to find the boot had been closed. Three out of four had perished. I was distraught. I did what I could to cool Rocky down before taking him to the vet.
'I do not accept I am directly responsible for their deaths but I do accept I left the dogs unattended for too long.'
The court heard the evidence of veterinary surgeon Naomi Williams that the dogs would have suffered from heatstroke and hyperthermia from not being able to regulate their body temperatures.
Holly Hagan, defending, said Claridge-Fleming has five children, including a step-child, who would 'suffer terribly' if he received a custodial sentence.
She added: 'He is genuinely devastated by the fact this happened. Dogs are not only pets to him but his livelihood and passion.'
She told the court that the defendant continues to run his dog training business but no longer advertises and relies on people 'that know him and trust him'.
Her Honour Judge Suzanne Evans KC told Claridge-Fleming: 'Your shocking lack of care for these dogs and negligence of them is what led to their deaths.
'On August 3, 2023, the temperature was in the region of 22-23C and everybody, even people who are not experts, knows that in the middle of hot weather dogs are highly vulnerable in hot vehicles and should never be left there.
'It may be practiced in the gundog industry (that dogs are left in these conditions) but for an outsider it seems entirely wrong.
'They were left to suffer in the back of the car for six hours while you were distracted by a family emergency. Dogs are loving, trusting creatures who rely upon those who care for them and you failed the dogs entirely.'
Speaking after the sentencing, RSPCA Inspector Patrick Bailey, who investigated for the animal welfare charity, said: 'Many people think something like this will never happen to them so we hope this saddening case reminds people that the risk to the lives of animals is so high.
'We'd plead with people to never leave a dog in a vehicle even for a moment, especially during hot weather.'
